Western Cape Minister for Community Safety Albert Fritz has said 1,875 people were murdered in the Western Cape so far this year and likened the province to a war zone.
According to SA Breaking News, whilst commenting on a the recent spate of murders linked to gansterism, Fritz said,
War is commonly defined by the UN and other such institutions as an act of conflict that has claimed more than 1000 lives. In the Western Cape, 1875 people were murdered in the past six months alone. This means that many of our most vulnerable residents in the province are living in a war zone.
Minister Fritz added, “As the Western Cape Government we will continue to do everything within our power to prevent crime through our programmes whilst working with our communities. Amongst others, these programmes prioritise the development of youth and drive job creation to ensure that individuals do not have to resort to a life of crime.”
The 2018/19 State of Urban Safety in SA Report revealed Cape Town as the murder capital of the country.
It showed there were 69 reported murders per 100,000 Capetonians in 2017/2018, four times more than in Tshwane, the city with the lowest murder rate.
More: SA Breaking News